Travel Information
Below you will find information about how to best get to Bochum and to the conference venue.
You may click the links below to quickly get to the information you are looking for.
If you are just looking for a quick link to the RUB Campus Map, please click here!
Map with the path (in yellow) from the U35 station at the university to the venue here (see details below).
Please also note this campus map showing blocked roads and areas due to ongoing construction on the RUB campus. This map may change in the weeks leading up to the conference, so it is best to check it again just before you plan to arrive. This map is unfortunately only available in German.
Bochum
- By Plane
- By Train
- By Car
Public Transport
Conference Venue
- By Car
- By Public Transportation
Planetarium (Welcome Reception)
Conference Dinner
Bochum
By Plane
If you are arriving by plane, the best option would be Düsseldorf Airport. It is the third largest airport in Germany and served by many different airlines. After arriving there, you should go to the Düsseldorf Airport Train Station (via the free SkyTrain), from where your best options would be to take the RE6 in direction Minden or the RE1 in direction Hamm (Westf). For either of those trains you will need a public transportation ticket of price level D (15.70 €), which will also be valid within Bochum for up to 5 hours after stamping it. Note that you are not allowed to take IC/EC or ICE trains with this ticket. When traveling in a group, multi-use or group tickets ("4er-Ticket Erw.", which allows 4 uses, or "24-StundenTicket", which is valid for an entire day) may be cheaper. You can check prices in advance on the (German) VRR Website (Tickets) or in the PDF they provide.
Another option and the closest airport would be Dortmund. It is however a fairly small Airport which is mostly used by low-cost airlines for flights within Europe, so Düsseldorf Airport is usually preferred over Dortmund. From there you can take the Airport-Express to get to Dortmund Main Station, which costs 9.00 € per person (tickets are only available from the bus driver and the fare must be paid in cash and euros). From Dortmund Main Station you can take a variety of different trains to get to Bochum Main Station. You will need a regional public transport ticket (the Airport-Express is not run by the public transportation company, so it has to be paid separately) of price level B (6.00 €). This ticket will also be valid within Bochum for up to 2 hours after stamping it. Note that you are not allowed to take IC/EC or ICE trains with this ticket. If you are travelling in a group, it might also be advantageous to check prices of multi-use or group tickets ("4er-Ticket Erw.", which allows 4 uses, or "24-StundenTicket", which is valid for an entire day). You can check prices in advance on the (German) VRR Website (Tickets) or in the PDF they provide.
A third option would be to arrive at Frankfurt Airport. From the airport train station you will need to book a ticket with Deutsche Bahn to get to Bochum Main Station. Prices vary, with the cheapest connections usually available for 29 € if you book early. Note that "Sparpreis" tickets are only viable for the exact connection you booked, while "Flexpreis" tickets are viable for any connection between the origin and destination that you booked. If your hotel is not within walking distance of Bochum Main Station, you can book a public transportation ticket together with your train ticket, or buy a separate ticket after arriving at Bochum Main Station (price difference should be minor, if any). Alternatively, you may also opt to use a cab from Bochum Main Station to your hotel. Cabs are usually located on the left side of the main exit of Bochum Main Station.
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By Train
If you are arriving by train, you can search for your connection using the website of Deutsche Bahn to Bochum main station. As cities in the Ruhr-Area are well connected, it may be advantageous to first arrive in Dortmund or Essen, as not all IC/ICE trains also stop in Bochum. There are plenty of trains going between Essen - Bochum - Dortmund, so it is unlikely that you will have to wait more than 15 minutes for the next connection.
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By Car
The city of Bochum and the Ruhr-University Bochum (RUB) are well-connected to both autobahn and public transportation. If you are traveling by car you may use the Google Maps widget below or any other map service you may prefer. Please also refer to the website of your hotel for instructions on how to best get there.
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Public transport
Public transportation tickets can be purchased at the ticket machines of the train stations, from the bus drivers or online. Ticket machines accept cash or credit cards, while buses accept only cash. Tickets bought at the ticket machines, as well as multi-use or group tickets, will most probably need to be validated at the start of the trip (stamping machines are usually nearby the ticket machines or near the stairs leading to the platforms at the train stations and inside buses/trams. Please note that there are no stamping machines inside the trains).
To travel within Bochum (from the city center to the university, for example), you will need a public transportation ticket of price level A (specifically, A3, 2.90 €). The "4er-Ticket Erw.", which allows 4 uses, for level A costs 10.50 €, and the "24-StundenTicket", which is valid for an entire day, for level A costs 7.10 €. The two most used journey planners for this area are the website of Deutsche Bahn (mostly for intercity trips) and the VRR website (mostly for connections inside the city). You can install the corresponding Apps on your mobile phone.Back to top
Conference Venue
The conference will be held in room GAFO 03/252 at the Ruhr-University Bochum.
See below for a more detailed description on how to get there. You can also follow signs and painted arrows on the campus directing you towards the
"Geisteswissenschaften" (not all signs are also written in English) or the "Q-West" or the "Campus Center", as they are right in front of the G-buildings.
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By Car
If you want to get to the RUB by car, you may again use a map service of your choice for directions. The University is also clearly signposted from within many parts of Bochum.
You may also want to have a look at the travel information of the RUB for additional information and maps of the area.
In terms of parking spaces, it is best to follow signs for Universität-Mitte (University-Center) and parking garages P4-P9.
Additional parking space that frequently has free spaces is available at the Hochschule Bochum (Bochum University of Applied Sciences), from where you will have to walk about 10-15 minutes to the conference venue.
Please note that parking garages P1, P2, P3, P12 and P13 are not accessible! You need a parking garage key from the university (P1 - P3) or a student or staff ID card (P12 and P13) to enter these garages.
Please also see the Campus Map for additional information on how to get to the conference venue from the different parking spaces.
If you parked in the parking garages P4 to P8, you will either exit from those garages in the area labeled "Forum" and PT on the campus map (if parked in P4, P5 or P6) or, if you parked in P7 and P8, on either side of the "Dining Hall".
If you parked at the Bochum University of Applied Sciences, you will arrive from the right side of the campus map (see arrow pointing to the University of Applied Sciences on the right border). From there, you should follow the N-Nordstr. along the buildings ND, NC, NB and NA until you arrive near the Audimax. Along the way you will have to climb several flights of stairs to get to the ground level of the Audimax and Dining Hall.
If you depend on a wheelchair or need to avoid stairs for other reasons, note that elevators are available in all buildings, although some elevators do not reach the desirable level every time and to find the way might be a bit more complicated. Please also see the Campus Map for Wheelchair users.
Pictured below you can see the large space in front of the Audimax, behind which you find the Dining Hall.
Picture: © Ruhr-Universität Bochum
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By Public Transportation
To travel within Bochum (from the city center to the university, for example), you will need a public transportation ticket of price level A (specifically, A3, 2.90 €). The "4er-Ticket Erw.", which allows 4 uses, for level A costs 10.50 €, and the "24-StundenTicket", which is valid for an entire day, for level A costs 7.10 €. Please keep in mind, that tickets bought at the ticket machines, as well as multi-use or group tickets, will most probably need to be validated at the start of the trip (stamping machines are usually nearby the ticket machines and inside buses/trams). If you are arriving via Bus or with the U35, please see the Campus Map to check where you will exit from the bus/train station.In most cases, using the U35 will be the best and fastest option for getting to the university. Buses usually take longer and arrive less often.
On the map, the U35 station is displayed as an "U" in the top-center area of the map, while the bus stations are displayed as a green/yellow "H". See here the map with the path (in yellow) from the U35 station to the venue.
However in either case, you will need to turn right after climbing the stairs up from the bus/train stations.
You will then be walking towards the University Library (UB on the campus map), which you should pass on the left to continue down two flights of stairs. You will now be walking directly towards the Audimax (large circular building, difficult to miss), and turn to your right in the direction of the G-buildings.
If you depend on a wheelchair or need to avoid stairs for other reasons, you can check the Campus Map for Wheelchair users for wheelchair accessible routes. Do note that elevators are available at all public transport stations at the university.
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Planetarium (Welcome Reception)
The Planetarium will host the welcome reception. It is close to Bochum Main Station and can be reached from there with just one stop of the tram lines 308 and 318 in direction Schürbankstraße/Gerthe (the stop is called 'Planetarium'). Arriving by car is not recommended, as the number of free parking spaces in the area is often limited.
Please also see the website of the Planetarium Bochum where you can find more information about the planetarium and also more detailed information about how to get there. There is no English version of the Website, but Google translate should work well enough.
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Conference Dinner
The conference dinner will take place at Beckmanns Hof. It is located south-east of the conference venue towards the botanical garden of the RUB. There is a path leading downwards from the area south of the "Dining Hall" or the "NA-building". This path is also shown on the Campus Map (see arrow pointing to the Beckmanns Hof on the bottom border).
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